In conventional virtual environment design and development, (e.g., the design of a video game, a virtual desktop or an animated movie), an object, (e.g., a weapon, an icon, a character, an background feature), is created by generating its visual aspects (e.g., a 2D or 3D model) and programming its functional aspects first (e.g., what and how a weapon shoots, what function an icon performs when it is clicked on, how the character moves and its abilities, what happens when an object interacts with an background feature), and then later adding sounds that correspond to actions by or interactions with the object. For example, in conventional video game design, a gun may be created as an object in the video game's virtual environment by generating a 3D model of the gun and then programming into the model the gun's functionality, such as what the gun shoots (e.g., bullets, laser, grenades, etc.) and how the gun shoots (e.g., its rate of fire, range, etc.). Finally, the designer adds sounds that correspond to the gun's visual look and functions (e.g., a series of short, closely spaced, high-amplitude, staccato sounds when the gun fires bullets at a high rate of fire). Thus, the sound design is reactive to the visual and functional designs that preceded it.